They Taught Me Sign Language

Former NBA Player and Broadcaster, Mike Glenn, talks about his first encounters with Sign Language.

After mom and dad graduated from Alabama State College in Montgomery, Alabama, they moved to Cave Spring, Ga. Mom taught public school at Fairview and E.S. Brown elementary school, and dad accepted a teaching and coaching position at Georgia School for the Deaf. Since dad had played high school basketball at Randolph County Training School, he volunteered to coach basketball, softball, and track for males and females. Coaching Black teams of deaf athletes in the segregated South in the 1950s and 1960s had many challenges and disadvantages. Often times on long road trips, the bus driver would have a difficult time finding a restroom for "Colored" people. And there was no money in the budget to pay dad for his efforts. The principal, Mr. Eugene Perdue, was a respected and dedicated community leader. He kindly told dad at the end of each year, "thank you Coach Glenn; you did a good job." Mr. Perdue allowed dad to take me on road trips, and he made the gym available to me any time. Dad introduced me to two of his favorite players, Mildred Nelson and Lois Smiley. Nelson was the best player on his team and the best player in the history of Georgia School for the Deaf. She was a beautiful girl with smooth, dark chocolate skin and a deadly jump shot. Mildred Nelson was my first hero! Smiley was another good player but a much better student. As a former mathematics major in college and a math teacher, dad appreciated his inspired math wiz. Smiley was brilliant and so far advanced over her classmates that dad tutored her individually. After graduating form G.S.D., Lois graduated from the nation's only college for deaf students, Gallaudet University with a B.A. degree. Dad was very proud of his two stars. I know carry that pride and love and share this legacy. There were also male players who became my basketball role models. Arthur Phelps, Woodrow Wilkerson, James Anderson, Howard Sidwell, Harvey King, and Frank Crowley were my friends and teachers. I was saddened to hear that my deaf friends never got a chance to go to a basketball camp. I developed the desire to start a basketball camp for deaf kids. The seed was planted!